Rockhampton celebrated a busy weekend with the return to racing at Callaghan Park on Saturday and the CQTBA Capricornia Sale on Sunday.
Since its reconstruction just over two years ago, Callaghan Park’s course proper has been flooded twice but has recovered well. Rockhampton chief executive Garry Armstrong said there are still some issues to address but the meeting was a morale-booster for all concerned.
Connections of locally trained flyer Mythologist received the biggest boost when he defied running down in the $101,000 Capricornia 2YO Classic (1200m). The Lyle Rowe trained youngster completed a hat-trick as a short-priced favourite after two recent victories on his home track.
Mythologist (2g Hidden Dragon – Satellite Girl by Speeding Fine) was sold by Laurel Glen Equine (as agent) for $18,000 to part-owner Beau Gray at the 2012 Capricornia Sale. Only graduates of the Capricornia Sale are eligible for the following year’s 2YO Classic.
His sire Hidden Dragon is a Lyndhurst Stud resident and he got LR Weetwood Hcp winner Miss Imagica in Toowoomba on Saturday night.
Mythologist’s younger half-brother by Muzdaher topped Sunday’s Sale at $40,000. Also offered by Laurel Glen, he was sold to Magic Millions acting for a Queensland client.
Muzdaher (Stravinsky) was a Flemington juvenile winner for Sheikh Hamdan and David Hayes and was stakes placed in the McKenzie Stakes and Creswick Stakes at Moonee Valley as a three year-old.
Culled as a rising six year-old at the 2009 Inglis Great Southern Sale, Muzdaher (NZ) was purchased by leading Mackay trainer John Manzelmann and won at his only start in Queensland. “We had him at stud for a couple years,” Manzelmann recalled this week. “But then we got an offer from China and he left here twelve months ago.”
The Muzdaher colt was followed on the Capricornia Sale leader-board by a Onemorenomore – Viva Caro colt from Patinack Farm that realised $30,000. There were 21 yearlings in the Patinack draft and they sold for an aggregate of $143,000.
A Real Saga – Girlzone filly from Stewart Park also sold for $30,000. A total of 89 yearlings changed hands for $793,000 at an average of $8,910. The clearance rate was 86%.
– Karl Patterson